Choice of cranial window type for in vivo imaging affects dendritic spine turnover in the cortex

Hua-Tai Xu; Feng Pan; Guang Yang; Wen-Biao Gan

doi:10.1038/nn1883

Choice of cranial window type for in vivo imaging affects dendritic spine turnover in the cortex

Nat Neurosci. 2007 May;10(5):549-51. doi: 10.1038/nn1883. Epub 2007 Apr 8.

Authors

Hua-Tai Xu¹, Feng Pan, Guang Yang, Wen-Biao Gan

Affiliation

¹ Molecular Neurobiology Program, Skirball Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA.

PMID: 17417634
DOI: 10.1038/nn1883

Abstract

Determining the degree of synapse formation and elimination is essential for understanding the structural basis of brain plasticity and pathology. We show that in vivo imaging of dendritic spine dynamics through an open-skull glass window, but not a thinned-skull window, is associated with high spine turnover and substantial glial activation during the first month after surgery. These findings help to explain existing discrepancies in the degree of dendritic spine plasticity observed in the mature cortex.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Animals
CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1
Craniotomy* / methods
Dendritic Spines / metabolism
Dendritic Spines / ultrastructure*
Diagnostic Imaging / methods
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / metabolism
Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
Luminescent Proteins / genetics
Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
Microscopy, Confocal / methods
Neuroglia / metabolism
Neuronal Plasticity / physiology*
Receptors, Chemokine / genetics
Receptors, Chemokine / metabolism
Somatosensory Cortex / cytology*
Time Factors

Substances

CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1
Cx3cr1 protein, mouse
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
Luminescent Proteins
Receptors, Chemokine
Green Fluorescent Proteins